Tuesday Travels: Foie Gras

Our theme for the month of August is to feature food from our travels. This week, I am taking you to Al Muntaha, the signature restaurant of seven-star hotel Burj Al Arab.

We celebrated my son’s 2nd birthday there back in 2009. We had an international buffet and one of the interesting plate from the hors d’oeuvre menu is called Foie Gras or baked fat goose liver. I have read this countless times in luxury food magazines and was pretty thrilled I get to try it here.

Although the literal translation from French is “fat liver,” foie gras is the term generally used for goose liver. A goose or duck is force-fed and fattened over a period of four to five months. These specially bred fowl are not permitted to exercise, which, combined with the overeating, creates a huge (up to 3 pounds), fatty liver. After the bird is killed, the liver is soaked overnight in milk, water or port. It’s drained, then marinated in a mixture usually consisting of Armagnac, Port, or Madeira and various seasonings. The livers are then cooked, usually by baking.